The 5 Greatest Lessons We've Learned From Anthony Bourdain

Like many this morning, I woke up to the devastating news of Anthony Bourdain's death. After the loss of Kate Spade earlier this week, it felt as if the world had suffered another loss too great to bear. Bourdain, an award-winning chef, storyteller, and author, helped shape the lives of countless people: aspiring chefs, writers, journalists, but also regular folks. He had an uncanny ability to reach out and touch the lives of virtually anybody in his path on a deeply human level and inspire millions to see the world differently. Through his extensive documentary reporting, he taught us what it really means to be a part of the world, to be open to others, to fight for injustice, and, of course, to eat a really great bowl of ramen.

Bourdain, who suffered his own battles with addiction, never shied away from being brutally honest about his own mental health. He opened up about his cocaine and heroin addiction without restraint. He told the story of how his own humble start as a kitchen dishwasher helped discipline and structure his younger, angry, and unruly self.

"In America, the professional kitchen is the last refuge of the misfit. It's a place for people with bad pasts to find a new family," he pondered in the famous 1999 New Yorker article that put him on the map.

He spent his career advocating and fighting for the underdog. He fought for immigrant workers in restaurant kitchens. In his 11 seasons for CNN's Parts Unknown, he humanized populations from Haiti to Congo, Iran, Myanmar, and beyond. In each place he visited, he spoke with local activists and experts about the underdocumented horrors and injustices happening in their communities, demonstrating humble candor and genuine curiosity—always over a bowl of really great local cuisine. For Bourdain, food was the connecting element that fostered relationships and humanness.

For a man who slurped noodles with President Obama in Vietnam and won countless accolades, from Emmys to PGA and James Beard awards, his suicide is a mystery for many. We are quick to put celebrities on a pedestal—they have all the success in the world, and therefore, they must be beaming with happiness. Kate Spade built a brand that was inherent in the concept of happiness. And though Bourdain's brand was a little more cynical, he left many dumbfounded this morning.

"Depression doesn't have a face," April Jackson, director of advocacy and recovery services for Mental Health America of the Heartland, told the Kansas City Star in the face of Spade's suicide. "It doesn't matter how much status you have, how much money is in your bank account, how many people love you. When people are depressed, sometimes they can lose themselves. Sometimes it is so difficult for them to process reality, and they get stuck. And sometimes they hide it because of the stigma attached to mental health."

Bourdain himself once said on Parts Unkown, "As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. In return, life, and travel, leaves marks on you. Most of the time, those marks, on your body or on your heart, are beautiful. Often, they hurt."

Whatever he felt, he felt deeply. As we mourn his loss this morning, we remember all the valuable lessons he taught us along the way and the legacy he will leave on humanity.

On Connecting With Others

What he said: "If I am an advocate for anything, it is to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food. It's a plus for everybody."

What others said:

1/15

“Low plastic stool, cheap but delicious noodles, cold Hanoi beer.” This is how I’ll remember Tony. He taught us about food — but more importantly, about its ability to bring us together. To make us a little less afraid of the unknown. We’ll miss him. pic.twitter.com/orEXIaEMZM

Anthony Bourdain challenged us to ask difficult questions. He held all of us accountable for finding meaning in food, respecting the people who prepare it, and making change in the world. He will be deeply missed. https://t.co/IXDEDLx8D1

What he said: "Your body is not a temple. It's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride." —Kitchen Confidential

What others said:

3/15

Anthony. One of my idols. Unapologetic, passionate and one of the best storytellers on the planet. Thank you for making food so exciting. And always standing up for everything right. Horrible. Why why why. Be at peace now :(

Anthony Bourdain on humanity:"Meals make the society, hold the fabric together in lots of ways that were charming and interesting and intoxicating to me. The perfect meal, or the best meals, occur in a context that frequently has very little to do with the food itself." RIP pic.twitter.com/0CWxbTcF8V

What he said: "Without experimentation, a willingness to ask questions and try new things, we shall surely become static, repetitive, and moribund." —Medium Raw

What others said:

5/15

When people achieve great success at a young age it's inspiring, but the fact that Anthony Bourdain got his big break at 44 is something I think about often for motivation. I'll always look to him as a reminder that it's never too late for your second act. RIP

Bourdain basically spent the last 2 decades discovering himself with a camera in his face. He was a role model in the way he proved that it’s never too late to try to circle back and get the story right, and he had no problem admitting when he was wrong. This sucks.

What he said: "Basic cooking skills are a virtue. … The ability to feed yourself and a few others with proficiency should be taught to every young man and woman as a fundamental skill. [It's] as vital to growing up as learning to wipe one's own ass, cross the street by oneself, or be trusted with money." —Medium Raw

What others said:

7/15

Forever with me Tony. Looking at the spoon tattoo we share fills my heart with so much sadness today, but forever will be a reminder that you believed in me.I am forever indebted to this passionate great man. Truly heartbroken today. #RIPBourdainpic.twitter.com/aYZtP8hr8Q

What he said: "Maybe that's enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity. Perhaps wisdom … is realizing how small I am, and unwise, and how far I have yet to go."

What others said:

9/15

For a Black man that has walked the plank for being highly critical of the food world so white, #AnthonyBourdain was special. He called Africa the cradle of civilization, took his cameras to Haiti, honored the hood with Snoop, broke bread with Obama like a human being...

Just saw the sad news that Anthony Bourdain has died. I watched his show when I was in space. It made me feel more connected to the planet, its people and cultures and made my time there more palatable. He inspired me to see the world up close. #RIPAnthonyBourdainpic.twitter.com/Cb6IfmzylN

Suicide is a growing problem in the United States. Suicide rates have increased by 25% across the country over the last two decades, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you or anyone you know is considering suicide or self-harm or is anxious, depressed, upset, or needs to talk, there are people who want to help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at (800) 273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741. For international resources, contact the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide.